What ever happened to Cadillac's 100th aniversary. I didn't hear or see the slightest mention of it. It came and went. I know that Cadillac even put gold trim to mark the 50th, "Golden Aniversary" in 1952. Is making it to the century mark no big deal? There aren't too many other makes out there that can brag about this.:confused:

Ralph

03-27-03, 01:44 AM

Hey, for the 100th anniversary last year my dad got a set of pins, under glass in a frame. 10 pins in all, that were basically the hood ornaments of all Caddys for the last 100 years. He got them from the Caddy dealership, and got me a pair for free as well when he ordered a DTS. Go to the dealer and see if you can get them still, they're nice, but I don't know what they would cost.

Liseckas

03-27-03, 01:52 AM

Thanks for the information. I would have never known about any promotions otherwise. There wasn't even a mention about Cadillac's milestone at the last couple of international auto shows.

Ralph

03-27-03, 02:00 AM

I also thought they would have a special model for the 100th. Did they? Very recently some other model celebrated a milestone, but I cannot remember which one.

Elvis

03-27-03, 12:23 PM

A few months ago we had a kid from Ford come speak at my Rotary Club. He was telling us all about the history of FoMoCo and their 100th anniversary. One of the questions he rhetorically asked us was "how many companies can you name that have a 100 year history like Ford?"

Without even thinking, I mumbled "Cadillac" and everyone at my table started laughing. They knew I was right, but a lot of them didn't know the whole Henry Ford/Cadillac story.

Devil_concours

03-27-03, 12:28 PM

didn't they showcase cien "100" as their 100th aniversary?

Liseckas

03-27-03, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by Elvis
A few months ago we had a kid from Ford come speak at my Rotary Club. He was telling us all about the history of FoMoCo and their 100th anniversary. One of the questions he rhetorically asked us was "how many companies can you name that have a 100 year history like Ford?"

Without even thinking, I mumbled "Cadillac" and everyone at my table started laughing. They knew I was right, but a lot of them didn't know the whole Henry Ford/Cadillac story.

There's a whole history about that, one probably F*** would rather not remember.

Oldsmobile had a really great history -- up until recently. I was at their 100th Anniversary Celebration in Lansing in August 1997. That was quite a time. There's a really great book called "Setting the Pace" which desicribes, in great detail, the mechanical and human history of one of the greatest marques in the world!

Ford gets the credit for the first assembly line, but it was really Ransom Eli Olds who did it in the very early 1900s. Olds went on to found the REO truck company later in his life, which produced the Speedwagon model. Heard of the band REO Speedwagon? Yep, it's named after Ransom Eli Olds' truck model, the Speedwagon. Olds has lots of great innovations which go unnoticed. First use of chrome on a car. First fully automatic transmission in America (the Hydramatic). First high compression OHV V8 (in 1949)...this honor is kind of shared with Cadillac, who also came out with a OHV V8 in '49. First successful FWD vehicle with the '66 Toronado (with a big-block 425 V8 no less). It was Olds who developed GM's famous (infamous?) Quad-4 engine, producing up to 190hp out of 2.3 liters -- back in the 1980s!

This is getting a little off-topic, but I agree that Cadillac should have made much more of the passing of their 100th anniversary than they did.

Elvis

04-01-03, 12:54 PM

Take it on the run, baby!

My grandfather had a '66 Toronado. Then he traded on a '69 Toronado that had a 455. I liked the '66 better, and still do.

Someday I want one.

PONCHO

04-02-03, 11:02 AM

I think cadillac is trying to gather more of a younger group to buy their cars. So far I think they are on track with this. If they made a huge deal over their 100th aniv. then young people may see them as the same "old" cadillacs for old people. Cadillac doesnt want this, I think they want to focus on the future and the direction they are going and do not want to look at the past so much.

Ralph

04-03-03, 02:24 AM

Good point, look at the Pontiac Vibe, fresh new model, no history, trendy looks, they can't keep them on the showroom floors 'cause all the youngins' are buying 'em.